Bank vault and safe protector



W. C. BECKWITH. BANK vAuLT AND SAFE PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 29| 192i.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922-..

UNITED STATES WALTER c. Bncxwirn, or ros'rorua, omo.

.'BANIK VAULT AND SAFE PROTECTOR. i

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7,1922.

Application led Januar/y 29; 1,921. Serial No. 440,831.

To all wwfml t may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER C; BECKWITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fostoria, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use-vv ful Improvements in Bank Vault and Safe Protectors; and I do declare vthe following to be a full, clear, and exacta description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledvin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,1and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. y

In attacks by burglars upon safes and bank-vaults, the usual practice is,-when the combination-lock cannot be mastered,-t'o knock oi the knob of the permutation lock, thus uncovering an opening inthe door of the vault or safe, through which may be introduced a high explosive which, when exploded, blows open and wrecksthe door. The object of the present invention is to prevent the improper opening. of the door as well as to render the permutation lock inaccessible, save to one having a proper key.

In carrying out my invention, I avail myself of the recent marked advance in the knowledge of the chemistry of 'toxic gases and the art of their production. The gas or vapor to be employed in connection with my invention is a matter of selection, depending upon the degree of virulence desired, and ranging from the well known musi tard gas to, say, hydrocyanic acid vapors. These gases or vapors are confined, under such pressures as may be desired, in a container of frangible or easily ruptured material, and of such construction and contour as will permit'it to be secured in the path of a swinging door and as a shield for the door-lock.

To these ends my invention consists of aV construction of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated "in the accompanying drawings, whereini Figure I, is a front-elevation of my device in operative position upon a Vault door or safe door; Fig. II, a transverse section of the same taken on line a-a Fig. I Fig. III, a cross-section of the same taken on line b-b Fig. I; Fig.-IV, an end-.view of the same, seen from the left in Fig.l I Fig. V, a sectional elevation taken on line c-o Fig. III and on line, cZ-d Fig. VI, and Fig. VI, aside-elevation of my device with parts hereinafter referred to indicated in dotted lines.

Like reference characters represent like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, l is a vessel of frangible material, such as glass or glazed porcelain or of thin sheet metal, the contour of the inner and outer walls being indicated in Figs. II, III and IV. This vessel is charged with a suitable toxic fluid as hereinbefore indicated. The inner side of the vessel is chambered, as indicated in Figs. II and VI, in such manner as to receive and conceal the knob and disc a of the permutation lock. `2 is a metal block securely fastened, as at 3, to the jamb b of the door c, or in case of double doors, to the margin of the companion door. Through this block are two horlzontal holesv 4 4. 5 5 are rods-preferably7 tubular, closed at their outer ends,the inner ends of which are in communication with the chamber of the vessel 1 and which are rigidly secured to the vessel. The rods 5 are adapted and arranged to slip through the holes 4. It will now be seen that if the door c is -closed and if the rods 5 be inserted through either separate from or integra-l with the block 2, and which is the same in transverse outline as the block. The lock, has therethrough two holes 7-7, which are in aline. ment with and which form continuations of the holes 4. The rods 5 have, in their inner 95 opposed faces, notches 8, which, when r the rods 5 are thrust through the holes 4 8, are automatically engaged by spring-pressed latches 9--9 carried by the lock and controlled by the tumbler l0. This kind of lock is in locked position, the lock 6 and the 110 lOO ros

block 2 are covered and that only the outer end fof the lock is exposed.

11 is a tubular projection leading from the chamber of the vessel between the rods fluid, and means for detachably locking the i vessel on the exterior of the safe across the4 door opening and in the path of such door,

whereby the vessel is ruptured by the movement of the door.

2. In a device for protecting a door against unauthorized opening, a vessel 'of frangible material, charged with toxic fluid and adapted to be secured to the door, said vessel rejecting at its free end beyond the edge ol) the door, an apertured block secured to the door joint, rods slidably connected to the vessel, and means for locking said rods in said apertures, whereby the openin of the door will cause said vessel to be ractured.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature' in presence of two witnesses.

v WALTER C. BECKWITH. Witnesses: t j

e P. H. CHAPMAN,

L. D. NAVARRE. 

